Watchcase



Feb. 24, 1942. s, KRAMER Re. 22,036

WATGHCASE Original Filed June 7, 1959 INVENTOR. 50 ad Kramer.

ATTORNEYS.

Reissued Feb. 24, 1942 WATC'HCASE Samuel Kramer, New York, N. Y.,assignor to Pioneer Watch Case (30., Inc., Mount Vernon, N. Y., acorporation of New York Original No. 2,229,979, dated January 28, 1941,Serial No. 277,793, June '7, 1939. Application for reissue June 14,1941, Serial No. 398,169

6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to watchcases. More particularly itrelates to watchcases that are so constructed as to exclude foreignmatter such as moisture, dust and dirt from the interior of thewatchcase, and cases of which type will hereinafter be referred to aswater tight watchcases.

The general object of my invention is the provision of a watchcase thatis simple and inexpensive and is adapted to exclude foreign matter fromthe interior thereof.

Among the mor particular objects of my invention is the provision in awatchcase comprising a plurality of parts of a construction whereby alljoints between the parts thereof are rendered water tight, and wherebyall foreign matter such as fluids, dirt, dust, grit and the like will beeffectively excluded from the interior of the watchcase. i

It is also among the more particular objects of my invention to providea watertight construction for a watchcase in which tightness is securedby providing extensive angularly related contact areas at the contactingportions of the parts forming the joint.

Among the more particular objects of my invention is further theprovision in a watchcase of a water tight construction that isapplicable to existing types and forms of watchcases without materiallyaltering theircontours.

These objects and such other objects as will hereinafter appear to bepointed out are attained in the illustrative embodiment of my inventionshown in the drawing, in which:

- Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of my improved watchcase;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof with a portion broken awaysubstantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1' looking in the direction ofthe arrows; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, which illustrates my inventionas applied to a wrist watchcase, although obviously it is not restrictedto this type of watchcase, I have therein shown at Ii] anannular memberor ring such as the movement ring of a watchcase that is adapted toreceive the movement of a watch, while at H is shown the back of thecase and at l2 the bezel, between which and the ring is carried thecrystal l3. Extending from the bezel l2 are a plurality of lugs [4, theroot portions ll: of which are reinforced and serve for the reception ofscrews l6 which pass through the lugs I! provided on the rim portions ofthe back I I and serve to draw the back ll toward the bezel l2. The lugsl4 also serve for the support of bars or pins IE to which a wrist watchstrap may be secured, these bars or pins being indicated in dot and dashlines in Figure 1.

The bezel i2 and the back ll clamp between them the annular member orring In and the crystal 13, the latter being superposed on the former,and intermediate the crystal and the ring is a gasket I9 seating withinan annular groove 29 on the ring and adapted to make the joint betweenthe crystal, and the ring water tight. For this purpose the gasket I9 ismade of a material that is impervious to moisture and one that, whencompressed between the ring Ill and the crystal I3 will provide thedesired water tight joint. Any suitable or preferred material may beused for this purpose. As examples I may mention leather and rubber, thelatter in particular having the additional desirable property ofresiliency.

Between the back II and the lower portion of the ring a second gasket 21seating in a recess 22 on the ring and a recess 23 on the back isprovided. This gasket effects a water tight joint between the ring I0and the back H, and as will be obvious, the requirements for thematerial thereof are similar to those enumerated in connection withthegasket l9.

It will be observed that by reason of the seating of the gaskets inrecesses, the areas of contact are greatly increased and the seepage ofwater correspondingly reduced. Not merely is the contact area increased,but portions thereof are angularly related along any path that the watermay take. The result is a degree of waterproofing not hithertoattainable.

In addition it will be observed that the wall of the bezel I4 is in suchclose contact with the gasket I9 that as the latter is compressed itwill expand against the bezel'wall, and the same is true of the outerwall of the recess 23 in relation to the gasket 2|.

The construction so far described guards against the entry of foreignmatter at all places except at the stem portion and the arrangement bywhich foreign matter is excluded at this point will now be described.

At 24 I have shown a bushing provided with an enlarged head 25 andsecured within a bore 2441 provided in the side of the casing, as by athreaded extension 26 adapted to screw into bore 24a of the ring III.The crown 21 is made hollow so y the bushing 24 and contours.

that it can seat slidably on the head 25 and is provided with a centralstud 28 that is adapted to extend into the bore of the bushing 24 andhas a threaded bore 29 therewithin adapted to receive the stem of thewatch movement. Intermediate the stud 28' and the bore of the bushing 24I have provided means, such as the packing 30 for preventing the passageof foreign matter.

In order to permit of the passage of the bushing through the bezel I2and the back ll, these are shown cut away, respectively at 3| and 32,without thereby destroying the water tightness of the construction atthis point, as can be seen from Figure 3.

It will be observed that the parts just described provide an effectiveconstruction for preventing the entry of foreign matter at the stemportion of the watch. Since the joint between the extension 26 and themovement ring is water tight, such foreign matter must first of allenter between the head 25 and the crown 27 and thereafter must work itsway between the packing 30 and the stud 28 or between the packing and itis only under the most unusual conditions that any type of foreign matter whether solid or fluid can find its way into the interior of thewatchcase.

While I have shown my invention as applied to a, circularly contouredwatchcase, it will be obvious that it is applicable to all th othercontours now in common use, and to many other It is therefore to beunderstood that I do not intend to restrict myself to watchcases ofcircular contour. Nor do I intend to restrict myself to the variousphases of my invention in the exact combination shown. As will beobvious they can be used in other combinations.

While I have herein described one illustrative embodiment of myinvention it will be under stood that the same may be embodied in manyother forms without departing from the spirit thereof as will be obviousto those skilled in the art, and that the disclosure herein i by way ofillustration merely and is not tn be interpreted in a limiting senseand, that I do not limit myself other than as called for by the priorart.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire tov secure by Letters Patent is:

1 A watchcase comprising a movement ring, a bezel having a bore adaptedto receive said movement ring in close engagement, an annular recess inthe upper peripheral portion of said ring, an annular recess in thelower peripheral portion. of said ring, a back provided with a recesscomplementary to said last recess and havin an outer wall portion in theform of a flange closely engaging the periphery of said movement ring,and a gasket seated in each of the recesses of said ring, acrystalhaving peripheral portions extending between the bezel and theupper gasket, and means for drawing said bezel and said back together,whereby said gaskets will be compressed and will eiTect a watertightjoint between said ring on the one hand, and the crystal, the bezel andthe back on the other hand.

2. In combination in a watchcase, a movement ring, a bezel having a boreto receive said movement ring in relatively close engagement, a recessrunning around the upper peripheral portion of said ring, a compressiblegasket seated in said ring, a crystal having peripheral portionsextending between the bezel and the gasket, and means for drawing saidbezel against said crystal, whereby said crystal will press against saidgasket and will compress it axially and expand it radially so as tocause its peripheral portions to press against the wall of the bore insaid bezel, and to effect a watertight joint between said ring on theone hand and said crystal and aid bezel on the other hand.

3. In combination in a Watchcase, a circularly contoured movement ring,a back having a, peripheral wall of an inner diameter to receive aportion of the movement ring, an annular recess in the end of saidmovement ring, a compressible gasket seated in said recess, said gasketbeing of a diameter to engage the inner surface of said peripheral wallof the back, and means to press said back against said gasket, wherebysaid gasket will be axially compressed and its peripheral portions willexpand radially and press against the inner surface of said peripheralwall so as to make a watertight joint.

4. A Watchcase comprising a ring, a bezel having a bore adapted toreceive said ring in close engagement, an annular recess in the upperperipheral portion of said ring, an annular recess in the lowerperipheral portion of said ring, a back provided with a recesscomplementary to said last recess and having an outer wall portion inthe form of a flange closely engaging the periphery of said ring, and agasket seated in each of the recesses of said ring, a crystal havingperipheral portions extending between the bezel and the upper gasket,and mean for drawing said bezel and said back together, whereby saidgaskets will be compressed and will efiect a watertight joint betweensaid ring on the one hand and the crystal, the bezeland the back on theother hand.

5. In combination in a wa-tehcase, a ring, a bezel having a bore toreceive said ring in relatively close engagement, a recess: runningaround the upper peripheral portion of said ring, a compressible gasketseated in said ring, a. crystal having peripheral portions extendingbetween the bezel and the gasket, and means for bezel against the wallof crystal and 6. In combination in a. watchcase, a circularly contouredring, a. back having a peripheral wall of an inner diameter ring, anannular recess in the end of said ring, a compressible gasketv seated insaid recess, said gasket being of a diameter to engage the inner surfaceof said peripheral wall of the back, and means to. press said. backagainst said gasket, whereby said gasket will be axially compressed and.its peripheral portions will expand radially and press against the innersurface of said peripheral wall soas to make a watertight joint. SAMUEL.KRAMER.

to receive a portion of the

